Clothes-line prop.



No. 673,235. Patented Apr. 30, |90L W. W. BUULDRY.

CLOTHES LINE PROP. (Application filed Nov. 30, 1900.) (No Model.)

II/09 24602: @UMQ NITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. BOULDRY, OF EAST WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES HOLLIS, OF WOLFBORO, NElV HAMPSHIRE.

CLOTHES-=LINE PROP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,235, dated April 30, 1901.

Application filed November 30, 1900. Serial No. 38,075. (No model.)

To all whom it pray concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. BOULDRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Weymonth, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Clothes-Line Props, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to props or supports for clothes-lines, and it comprises a suitable pole having its upper end slotted and a spring line-holder presenting aline-receiving throat, said line-holder being contained in the slot in the pole and being fixed to the pole at both its ends, whereby when the line is placed in the line-receiving throat the said line-receiver will give or yield intermediate its ends, and preferably the said line-holder is provided with a suitable line-receiving seat.

The drawing represents one embodiment of my invention, and shows a clothes-pole with its upper end shown in vertical section, with the line-holder supported in the end of said pole.

The clothes-pole is represented by A, and it may be of any suitable length, it preferably being pointed at its lower end, as at B, in order that it may more readily enter the ground when in use. The upper end of the said pole A is provided with the slot 3, the said slot containing the line-holder which is represented generally by 4, said line-holder being fast to the pole at each of its ends, whereby it may give or yield in its central portion. As represented, the line-holder comprisestwo opposed side members 5, forming between them a line-receiving throat, said side members having preferably intermediate their length the opposing line-receiving seats 7, which form the termination of the throat and which are adapted to receive and clamp the line in place. Each end of each side member is fixedly mounted in the pole, and I preferably accomplish this by boring a suitable socket 8 in the end of the slot, said socket being counterbored, as at 9, and the lower end of each of the side members 5 is driven into the socket 8, the said socket being made of a size so as to exactly lit the said lower ends, and thus hold them rigidly in position. The

upper ends of the side members are pointed,

preferably, and bent back upon themselves,

as shown in the drawing, whereby when the line-receiver is driven into place with its lower 5 end in the socket 8 the upper ends of said side members will enter the ends of the pole and be rigidly held.

A convenient way to make my line-receiver is by making the same of a single piece of wire which is doubled centrally of its length, as at 10, each half of the wire being shaped properly to form one of the side members 5. The slot 3 is made Wider than the normal width of the line-receiver, thus allowing the said side members to give or yield in the slot when in use, and the line-receiving seats 7'are so positioned that when the line-holder is in place they will be at the lower end of the slot, as shown in the drawing.

In using my device the line enters the linereceiving throat between the opposed side members of the lineholder, the said side members giving or yielding intermediate their ends to allow the line to enter the line-receiving seat 7, where it is positively held by the elasticity of the said side members, the counterbored portion 9 of the socket allowing the two side members to yield below the line-receiving seat, and the enlarged slot 3 allowing the said side members to yield above the linereceiving seat.

Preferably the line-receivi n g throat will be tapered, as shown in the drawing, in order that the line may more readily enter therein.

Various changes may be made in the above structure without departing from the spirit of my invention, which is expressed in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A clothes-line prop composed of a pole slotted at one end, and a spring line-holder seated within said slot so as not to project 5 beyond the end of the pole and comprising two opposed members adapted to receive and hold the line between them, the members of said holder being fixedly connected at their ends to said pole, the holder having a lineembracing throat and its opposed members being free to spring or yield in the said slot of the pole.

2. A clothesdine prop composed of a pole havinga-slot at one end, and a socket atthe end of the slot, a spring line-holder contained within said slot so as not to project beyond the end of the pole and comprising two yielding side members forming between them a line-embracing throat, one end of each side between them a line-receiving throat, one end of each side member being fixed in said socket below the counterbore thereof and the other end of each member being fixed to the 'end of the pole at the mouth of the slot, whereby said side membersmay be'contai'ned within said slotand giveor yield intermediate their ends.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 25 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM W. BOULDRY.

Witnesses:

GEo. W. GREGORY,

MABEL PARTELOW. 

